WA_phase2_proposal_writeshop

Edit 0 10 …
Africa RISING West Africa
Phase 2 Proposal Write shop
16 - 18 February, 2016 - Accra, Ghana

Objectives
  1. Review Phase 1 research and achievements
  2. Draft Phase 2 research proposal
  3. Map research and development partnerships for implementation
  4. Discuss any other issues

Participants
  1. Augustine Ayantunde
  2. Fred Kizito
  3. Roland Kanlisi
  4. Irmgard Hoeschle-Zeledon
  5. Bekele Kotu Hundie
  6. Abuelgasim Elzein
  7. Mahama Saaka
  8. Saaka Buah
  9. Asamoah Larbi
  10. Jonathan Odhong
  11. Zemadim Birhanu
  12. Jaochim Binam

Agenda

Tuesday, 16 February
08:00 Registration
08:30 Session 1: Welcome address and introduction
  • Welcome and objectives of the meeting - Asamoah
  • Guidelines to regional proposal structure - Irmgard
  • Discussion
  • Overview of USAID evaluators comments - Irmgard
  • Discussions
10:30 Break
11:00 Group task - characteristics of the project region, challenges and opportunities
Key questions to address:
  • Draft a page on key characteristics of West Africa – focus on Ghana and Mali
  • List 1-5 key challenges in the region for farming systems intensification/diversification
  • List 1-5 key opportunities in the region for farming systems intensification/diversification

Group 1: Roland, Mahama, Bekele, Fred (leader), Ghasim, Asamoah
Group 2: Binam (leader), Birhanu, Augustine, Buah, Irmgard, Jonathan

12:00 Reporting back on characteristics of the project region, challenges and opportunities
12:30 Lunch
14:00 Group task - Phase 1 achievements and loose end
Key questions to address:
  • List key achievements of Phase 1 (refer to project technical reports)
  • What are the loose end in Phase 1 that must be tied up
Groups same as previous exercise
15:00 Reporting back on phase 1 achievements and loose ends
16:00 Break
16:30 Group task - phase 2 proposals - new research topics/issues/themes to focus on
Key questions to address:
  • List 2-4 new issues to be researched in Phase 2 (based on Phase 1 activities and recommendations of the IITA and USAID review recommendations)
Group 1: Augustine (leader), Irmgard, Mahama, Jonathan
Group 2: Fred (Fred), Bekele, Buah, Birhanu
Group 3: Binam, Roland (leader) , Gasim, Asamoah
17:30 Reporting back on phase 2 proposal new research topics/issues

Wednesday, 17 February
08:00 Group task - phase 2 research components/themes and objectives
Key questions to address:
  • Which Phase 1 theme should be combined/dropped in Phase 2.
  • List 2-4 key research components/themes for Phase 2.
  • List 2-3 Objectives for each component/theme.
Group 1: Augustine (leader), Irmgard, Mahama, Jonathan
Group 2: Fred (leader), Bekele, Buah, Birhanu
Group 3: Binam, Roland (leader) , Gasim, Asamoah
10:00 Reporting back on phase 2 research components/themes and objectives
10:30 Consolidating final research components/themes and objectives

12:30 Lunch
14:00 Group task – Identifying phase 2 research questions, outputs and activities
Key questions to address:
  • List 2-4 research questions, outputs and activities to test each of the objectives identified by the group in the previous exercise
16:00 Break
16:30 Group task cont’d (till all groups finish)

Thursday, 18 February
8:00 Reporting back on phase 2 research questions, outputs and activities
8:30 Consolidation of phase 2 research questions, outputs and activities
10:30 Break
11:00 Consolidation of phase 2 research questions, outputs and activities
  • Final consolidated research questions, outputs and activities
bbbbbbbbbb(1) Nutrition, food safety and value addition
bbbbbbbbbb(2) Resilient production systems
bbbbbbbbbb(3) Markets, institutions and gender
bbbbbbbbbb(4) Research on out scaling of technologies and networking
bbbbbbbbbb(5) Development

14:00 Group task - mapping of research and development partners
Key questions to address:
  • List current local & international research partners & their roles
  • Identify new local & international research partners & their roles

Participants go into Ghana and Mali country groups

15:00 Reporting back on mapping research and development partnership

15:30 Plenary - Discussion of cross-cutting issues
  • Monitoring and evaluation
hhhhhhhhMonitoring aspect of the Africa RISING West Africa has been weak
hhhhhhhhThe team will need to develop and have clear cut project level indicators and targets for monitoring……see template from Fred Kizito
hhhhhhhhAt the project level consider having an assistant (in country) for monitoring (will be responsible for uploading data to CKAN, will capture data on issues like hhhhhhhhspontaneous adoption, how to monitor beneficiaries etc)
jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjThe project team to develop a monitoring plan
lllllllllllllllIFPRI to continue with collection of data which will be important for evaluation
pppppppTo address the weakness in uploading data to CKAN, the team will develop in country data base for collecting all data from partners before upload to CKAN

  • Communication arrangements
bbbbbbbMainstreaming of communication of project activities in-country through the regional coordinators in Ghana (currently has 3 regional coordinators) and Mali (currently bbbbbbbhas 2 regional coordinators)
bbbbbbbThe regional coordinators to report through country coordinator to the AR comms specialist
hhhhhhhProduction of localized communication materials (in the native language of the beneficiary communities)

  • Capacity building
kkkkkkkThe team to develop a capacity building strategy enumerating the vison for capacity building by the project (define beneficiary, targeted numbers, how capacity kkkkkkkbuilding will contribute to the project goals, how many to train within the next 5 years, training materials to be produced)

  • Project management and coordination
mmmmmIrmgard to develop this section

Key questions to address:
  • What are the 3 main issues that need to be changed/improved in phase 2 with regards to (a) M&E, (b) communication, (c) capacity building, (d) project management and coordination
  • How do we improve these issues in phase 2

17:00 Next steps and closing – Asamoah
  • Asamoah to finalize the draft proposal with the assistance of a consultant
  • Draft proposal to be circulated to the drafting team (all participants at the write shop) by 1 March, 2016